Let's Be Friends
by marshalanime
Summary: If you asked a six year old Naruto how to bring peace to the world what do you think his reply would be? With the concept being brought before him Naruto plans to bring peace the best way he can by making friends with everyone! After all, if everyone were friends then there wouldn't be any more fighting, right? Gathering others around him Naruto has no intention of giving up, ever!
1. Chapter 1

**Hello everyone, I'm back. Now I know it's been a rather long time since I've posted anything. I could make excuses like my life's been busy or technical issues but that won't change the fact that it's been a while. I also can't promise that I'll be able to upload regularly or that I'll be able to update any of my older stories in the near future, but I've been thinking about this story idea for a long, long, LONG time. After a few months of thinking and rethinking over how I want this story to pan out I decided it was finally time to start writing again.**

 **Now, since I didn't have enough space for a full summary in the summary description I'll be putting a longer version here.**

Minato, in an effort to protect his wife and unborn child from the consequences of leaked information writes up a document that'll give the other nations a reason to stay their hands. Years later this document will be used by one young Naruto Uzumaki to unanticipated results. Chasing after one goal Naruto will visit anywhere and everywhere as he meets new people, forges friendships, and learns about the wonder and horror that his world has.

Unfortunately no one told the village about this and now they're scrambling to find out where their missing jinchuriki is. Tensions rise between the Uchiha and the village as Dan struggles to hold the village together after the Nine Tails' attack and fall of his predecessor, while outside the village Mikoto and her hastily slapped together team rush after Naruto hoping to find him before the worst happens.

 **Now that that's out of the way, I hope you all enjoy the story!**

 **(Marshalanime does not own Naruto)**

How did it come to this? He, along with so many others gone through so much to ensure this never got out. But here he was with his sensei standing before him having just informed him that all that effort was for not.

Leaning back in his chair the blond Hokage, Minato Namakaze, pressed his palms into his temples while stiffing a sigh. "Are you sure?" Minato asked with eyes held shut in some delusional plea in the back of his mind that if he just ignored the reality before him that everything would go back to how it's suppose to be.

"I'm afraid so" the toad sage Jiraiya solemnly told his student. "We're not sure how but there's no question that this has been leaked. It's confirmed that Iwa, Suna, and Taki are already aware of Kushina's pregnancy and it's only a matter of days before it's spread across most of the continent" the man added.

Silence fell over the room as the furrowed wrinkles on the Hokage's forehead deepened in thought. After a few minutes Jiraiya closed his eyes and held back a sigh. Minato needed time to think about this, Jiraiya knew that. So to give the man the time he needed Jiraiya turned and left without another word. Even if it was too late to stop the information from spreading it wasn't to late to find out how it slipped out of their hands. Jiraiya would ensure that whoever it was suffered the consequences.

They had just one more month to go before they were in the clear, just one more. It wasn't uncommon for a Kage to keep at least their first child's birth secret from the world out of fear that past grudges would endanger both the child and mother but his case was even more severe. His wife, Kushina Uzumaki, was a jinchuriki and when a jinchuriki is pregnant the seal holding back their tailed beast significantly weakens as chakra is diverted to the growing child inside of them. Kushina would be at her most vulnerable during childbirth and it was the perfect time for someone seeking the Nine Tails' power to make an attempt at extracting it from the woman.

After sitting in utter silence for who knows how long Minato finally opened his eyes. It might have been a crap shot but he'd come up with a plan. Reaching for a few sheets of paper and his pen Minato began writing out a document to be sent around the Elemental Nations. At best this would only buy them a few months reprieve but that would be enough. He was determined to do everything in his power to make his son's birth come and go without any problems.

Six years. It had been six long years since that dreadful night. The night when the Nine Tails rampaged through the village and left many broken and lost. While the survivors struggled to pull their lives back together the layout of the village itself had been largely redone during reconstruction, or better or worse.

"I'm sorry, could you repeat that?" Haruzen Sarutobi questions as his eyes jolted up to the woman sitting across from him. Since his retirement roughly seven years ago the former Hokage had been taking it easy but he still loved receiving guests. However, it would seem that today's visit wasn't just a social one.

"I want to take Naruto in, to adopt him" Mikoto Uchiha once more said, the look of determination she held in her onyx eyes never wavering as she stared into the eyes of one of the strongest shinobi in history.

Taking a long drag from his pipe Haruzen examined the woman sitting before him. Taking his tabasco pipe out of his mouth the old shinobi set it down on the small table between them as a stream of smoke was blown from the corner of his mouth. "And you've discussed this with Fugaku?" Haruzen asked after a moment of pause. The Third noted how Mikoto's hands gripped tightly to the fabric covering her knees upon hearing the question.

"I've spent the last few weeks getting him to agree. He's still opposed to the idea but said he wouldn't stop me if this is what I truly wanted" the Uchiha said with a softer tone than before as he eyes dropped down to stare at the small table between them.

Haruzen hated himself for this but it had to be asked, he had to know how she felt about 'THAT'. "You are aware of what the boy holds, are you not?" Haruzen asked and Mikoto's hands balled into fists.

"I know how the rest of the village view the Uchiha" Mikoto said. Her voice was quiet but each word held emotion behind it. "I know that Naruto holds the Nine Tails inside him, and I know what others will think if we bring him into the family" the raven haired woman spoke as he fists trembled against her lap. "But... that doesn't matter" the woman said as the trembling stopped.

"Oh?" Haruzen intoned, urging the woman to continue.

Reaching into her pouch Mikoto brought out a photo and handed it over to the old man. "For the longest time I couldn't bring myself to even look at him. Not because he's a jinchuriki but because he reminded me so much of her" Mikoto said as her features softened and she stared lovingly at the photo Haruzen now held. "She was my best friend, someone I could share anything with. We had so many memories together both good and bad, but all of them are irreplaceable" Mikoto said as he gentle smile faded. She wanted to say tat she'd failed the woman, that she didn't deserve to be called her friend, but the words just wouldn't leave her throat.

Looking at the photo Haruzen failed to notice Mikoto's loss of words as a smile tugged at his lips. In it were her two sons, the genuis of the Uchiha, Itachi and her youngest who'd just recently started at the academy, Sasuke standing in front. Next to Itachi was a young girl of the same age, her brown hair differing from the other Uchiha in the photo, Izumi Uchiha. At the back standing behind both Itachi and Izumi was a young teen by the name of Shisui Uchiha with an arm around the two in front of him and pulling them closer, much to the embarrassment of the younger Uchiha. Even if Itachi did a good job hiding his embarrassment. Finally there was one more person in the photo, one who stood out drastically from the others. At the front, standing side-by-side with Sasuke was a boy with bright yellow hair and dazzling blue eyes. The two young boys held each other closely with the arms held around the other's shoulder as they both smiled widely at the camera.

"Shisui was the first to talk to Naruto. I doubt he was expecting the boy to become so important to him but Naruto carved out a place in his life quickly enough. Soon after he started making friends with the others. First it was Itachi after Shisui introduced them. Sasuke was inevitable since they were in the same class, and Izumi was soon drawn in by him" Mikoto told the Third, summarizing what she'd heard from her sons.

"When I first heard that they were friends, well, I honestly had no idea how to feel about it" Mikoto admitted, ashamed of herself for it. "I was happy for the boy, of course, but I knew that I'd have to face him now. That I'd have to face the sorrow that I'd buried deep down. I was scared." As Mikoto spoke her expression remained mournful. She knew her actions weren't just, no matter what excuses she could come up with.

"But then" Mikoto then said, her face brightening as a warm smile spread across her lips, "when I saw that picture I couldn't feel anything but happy. There before me was the face of the boy that I'd avoided for so long and I couldn't stop smiling, and I want to make sure that he can keep smiling like he is in that photo. That's why I want to take him" Mikoto told Haruzen.

Hearing her say this brought a great deal of warmth to the old man sitting across from her. Smiling himself he handed the photo back to the woman. "There are bound to be problems that come from this decision" Haruzen said seriously, getting an equally serious nod from the woman. "But I have faith that this will be good for everyone" the God of Shinobi told her as he reached down and picked up his pipe.

As the man took another drag from his pipe his face showed that he had one more question. "I have to ask though, why bring this to me? You don't need my permission to take young Naruto into your family" Haruzen told the woman. Even if he was still Hokage the final say in this matter wouldn't have been his. Like with any other child it would g through the proper channels before either being approved or denied.

"Yes, well..." Mikoto began as her gaze drifted off to the side and she held the photo tightly to her chest. "There are plenty who feel that the clan is a detriment to the village, that Konoha would be better off without us" Mikoto said before her eye turned to Haruzen, pleading with him for help. "I'm afraid that if it's just making a request to adopt him that I'd be denied because of that mentality. So I was hoping that you'd help" Mikoto told the man.

"Hmm" Haruzen hummed in thought as his gaze turned upward. He could certainly see why she'd harbor such a concern. Regretfully he couldn't help but feel a pain of guilt. It may have been Danzo's idea to section the entire clan off on the outskirts of the village but he was unable to refuse the man at the time even despite retaking his role as Hokage for the few months after the attack. Then and now there had been no solid evidence that the Nine Tails assault on the village was instigated by the Uchiha but circumstantial evidence and the need to restore order as quickly as possible led to Danzo's plan going through. While distrust of the Uchiha has existed since Madara's betrayal his decisions haven't helped to alleviate that feeling in any way.

Glancing back down at Mikoto's worried expression Haruzen gave her a reassuring smile. "I have some people in mind who could help." The moment the words reached her ears Mikoto's face brightened.

"Thank you!" Mikoto blurted out as she bowed her head low.

"Now. Now. There's no need for that" Haruzen waved the display off. "There's a young boy who needs you right now if I'm not mistaken" the Third told the woman and watched with delight as her head shot back up.

"Yes! Of course" Mikoto said as she got up and quickly made her way to the door. Pausing at the doorway mid-step Mikoto took a moment to sincerely say, "Thank you". Without turning to look at Haruzen's face or even waiting for a response the Uchiha woman left.

"Hahaha, I'm sure you'll be hearing those words soon enough" Haruzen chuckled to himself as he imagined Naruto's reaction.

Even though Naruto was only six he lived all on his own on the top floor of an old apartment building. The apartment itself wasn't all too big but to someone so young it must feel massive, especially when you're the only one living there. On a night like this that feeling of loneliness must be unbearable

Standing outside the front door Mikoto found herself frozen in place, her hand less than an inch from knocking on the door. She'd spent all this time convincing Fugaku, and just got finished asking Haruzen for help, she wasn't about to lose her resolve here. That said she still found this nerve-wracking. Even if Naruto had never known his mother Mikoto knew deep down that she could never replace her. What if he didn't like her? What if he said no? Mikoto knew these questions were silly but she still let them get to her.

No!

Shaking her head vigorously the woman set herself right. She came all this way. She wasn't going to fall at the finish-line. And so she knocked.

And then she knocked again.

No response? Something didn't feel right.

Reaching down Mikoto turned the doorknob. It was unlocked.

"Naruto...?" Mikoto called out as she walked into the apartment. As she looked around that sense of unease filled her more and more. "Naruto, are you here" Mikoto called out once more. With hastened steps she started to comb the place looking for any sign of the boy. Someone his age shouldn't be out this late, though some where in her gut Mikoto knew that he wasn't out enjoying a simple stroll through the village.

With worry gripping her Mikoto began to upturn everything in the apartment looking for a boy she wouldn't find.

Several miles outside of Konoha a group of shinobi were heading away from the village as quickly as they could. They had come from the Land of Water hoping that the Leaf could help them with their plight. A civil war had broken out and they faced the military might of Kiri and the Fourth Mizukage. They had powerful shinobi as well but they had to constantly move their forced about to avoid being completely overrun by the village they were fighting for. It was starting to take a toll on them.

They had hoped that Konoha could supply them with shinobi or weapons, at the very least they could take in those who couldn't fight, but they received a resolute NO. They had known that this was a long shot to begin with but it was a heavy blow none the less.

They had resigned themselves to simply returning home and continuing on as they had been when something unexpected happened.

"This is insane! We already have to worry about Kiri but now we're making an enemy out of Konoha!" one man yelled at the man leading them.

"That's enough!" the man in charge barked back. He was a veteran of the shinobi world and knew the battlefield all to well. the left side of his face was marked with countless scars from an explosion that nearly claimed his life years prior and a portion of hair on that side refused to grow on the damaged flesh making his short brown air patchy there. "An alliance with Konoha could mean the difference between victory and defeat and I don't have to remind you all what defeat will mean for us and our families" the man reminded them as he continued to rush forward. "If they wont agree then we'll just have to force their hand" the man said with narrowed eyes.

"But isn't this a bit much?" a young woman with long auburn hair questioned as she stayed in the center of the group. She had one eye obscured behind her hair but the other rested solely on the boy she carried on her back.

With nothing but determination showing on his face Naruto Uzumaki clung to Mei's back with no intention of letting go.


	2. Chapter 2

**Okay folks, I've got chapter two ready to roll. So without further delay I hope you all enjoy the chapter!**

 **(Marshalanime does not own Naruto)**

The darkness that enveloped the world at night was both friend and foe to a shinobi. From the shadows one could kill without sound or alarm. This was a fact known to any shinobi worth his salt and for the rebel shinobi sitting around the campfire this truth hung over them and refused to let go. The only one among them who wasn't constantly glancing to the inky blackness belong the fire's light was the young blond they's picked up in Konoha.

It came as no surprise really. The blond had never experienced combat or ever needed to lay low in unfriendly territory. To him this must have felt like a camping trip as he carried on from his spot next to Mei. "...and the dango were so sweet and yummy! I don't know how Sasuke didn't like-" the blond was regaling them with another story of him and his recently acquired friends when the man with scars covering the left side of his face finally had enough.

"That's enough!" the man snapped as his eyes narrowed at the kid sitting on the other side of the fire. Naruto's mouth immediately snapped shut and he stared wide eyed at the man glaring at him. "This isn't some jolly field trip ya know. Our lives are at risk and you yapin' away over there isn't helping our odds" the man growled out.

As Naruto's expression changed to an annoyed pout he felt a hand come to rest of his shoulder. He didn't need to look to see that the hand belonged to Mei since she was the only one close enough to touch him.

"Akemi, there's no need for you to yell at him. He's just a child" Mei told the man as her visible eye narrowed at him.

"A sword through the chest will kill a child just like it would an adult" Akemi remarked as his gaze shifted over to the woman.

"Do I need to remind you who's idea this was?" Mei shot back coolly.

"I still stand by that decision" Akemi told her, refusing to falter under her gaze.

Sparks were starting to fly between the two shinobi while off to the side the third member of the team watched on helplessly. Saburo was a tad bit chubby for a shinobi but being the most physically fit man was never a big concern of his. What was concerning was the tension building between the two shinobi before him. "Hey now, what's done is done. Nothing we can do about that" the man butted in, immediately regretting his decision when the two of them turned their ire to him. Quickly throwing his hands up Saburo shrunk down under their combined glares. "Eigh! W-Wh-What'd I say?" the man blurted out as he hid his face behind open palms.

Letting out a sigh Akemi turned his attention away from the man, briefly noting how the blond was staring at him as his gaze passed over him and Mei. "Such a naive child" the scarred man muttered as he stood up.

"What was that?" Naruto questioned as he leaned forward. For someone so young he'd already developed quite the stink eye.

Choosing to ignore the boy Akemi looked to Mei out of the corner of his eye. "Just make sure that kid likes you. Got it?" the man told her before walking into the night to perform a quick search of the area.

Being reminded of 'their' new plan didn't sit well with the young woman and looking to the side to see the child sticking his tongue out at the man's back along with that thought nearly made her queasy.

Hours earlier had the three rebels walking through the sparse streets of Konoha with a mixture of bitter and sour expressions between them.

"This was a complete waste of time" Akemi muttered as he glared at the setting sun. Their meeting with the Fifth Hokage had gone as well as he'd expected. It didn't matter what they brought forward it wouldn't change the fact that they were just some small military force going against their own nation. They were practically a glorified band of rouge shinobi. It would be stupid on Konoha's part to give them aid at this point in the war.

"Well, we received a decisive answer from them so that's something. Huu, I guess" Saburo made an attempt at positivety but quickly lost traction as he couldn't even convince himself that this was good in any way. With fallen shoulders the man looked to the ground with a sigh as his feet continued to shuffle him along.

"We were just doing as the mission said. Not our fault that it was doomed to fail" Mei added her opinion into the mix. It was admittedly nice not having to worry for your life every second of the day but that thought just led to her thinking about how she could be doing anything else to help their cause. So in a weird way she was anxious to get back to the front line.

As they walked Akemi's grimace slowly grew more and more fierce. He hated that they got sent all the way out here for nothing while their comrades fought and died. "Gha! Damn it all!" the man's anger finally boiled over as he lashed out at a pebble with a swift kick. His sudden action thoroughly startled Saburo while Mei just shock her head at the man's antics.

Without any regard for were the small rock went Akemi had sent it flying down the street, embedding it in a stone wall. This left the three stunned, not at the impressive display of strength but by the fact that it had been three inches from drilling through a kid's head.

"Akemi! Whatch what you're doing!" Mei shouted as she ran forward to check on the boy who'd stumbled back onto his ass in response to the mackshift projectile.

Left standing stiff as stone Akemi and Saburo looked on as the near disaster before them with horrified expressions. Eventually Akemi was the first to shake himself out of the stupor and with his grimace back in place he made his way over to Mei.

One minute Naruto was running home and the next he was on his ass after some kind of blur zoomed past his face. A quick glance at the wall next to him and the large spiderweb of cracks expanding from an inch wide hole put no doubt in his mind that he'd just avoiding something horrible. Soon his dumbfounded expression would be broken by a woman's voice calling out to him and asking if he was alright. Turning his head to look down the street the young blond saw said woman coming to a stop next to him.

"Well, you don't look hurt. Good" Mei said with a quick nod of her head as she knelt down to be more at eye level with the boy. Reaching out Mei helped the boy back to his feet before taking a closer look at him to check if he'd actually gotten hurt.

While this was happening Naruto examined her in kind. She didn't look familiar but given how many people live in the village that was nothing new. Despite that however he could tell that something was particularly off about this woman. It wasn't a bad sort of off but off none the less. As he pulled his attention away from her smiling face he started to take in the clothes she wore. They were a deep blue and despite being clean it wasn't hard to tell that they were worn with several visible stitches across the fabric. And then the setting sun's light bonced off of a strip of mettle sown into the fabric covering her chest. It was directly over her heart with scratched and scuffs displaying it's age. The first thing it reminded Naruto of the headbands worn by the village's shinobi and like them this strip of mettle had a design carved into it, a set of four lines with curved tips.

That's it! That's what was odd about her. This nice lady must be from one of the other villages he'd heard about.

"You can give it a rest. The kid's fine" Akemi remarked as he came to a stop behind Mei, Saburo hastily catching up to him.

"You can at least pretend to care" Mei told the man as she looked over her shoulder at him.

"If he's not hurt then I don't care" the man bluntly said. "We need to get back as soon as possible. Now let's go!" The man said as he turned to leave, only to pause mid-stride.

"Can I come with you?" Akemi, Saburo, and Mei all paused upon hearing the young blond excitedly ask his question.

"Uuh, say whaaat?" Saburo asked with an open mouth as his hands fell limply to his side.

Mei's reaction however was a tad different. "Oh my. I've gained the attention of my fair share of boys but this is a new one. Don't tell me you've developed a little crush on me?" Mei asked the boy playfully. It went without saying that the kid couldn't come with them but that didn't mean she couldn't have her fun, maybe draw a blush out of him. However it wasn't a blush but a very confused expression that the woman got.

"Forget it kid. I don't know what you're thinking and I don't care. You're not comin-" Akemi was telling the boy as he turned to walk down the road the boy had just come from. This resulted in him turning towards the cliffside the village was build around and the Hokage aces carved into its side. It had only taken a quick glimpse for something to click in the man's head as he viewed the monument.

Without taking anymore steps the man stood there and thought with wide eyes. This gave Naruto the chance to run in front of him and yell up with a pout, "What'd you mean I come? That's not fair at all-!?" While the boy had been irritated by the man's dismissive reply he was calmed, or mostly surprised, when the man gently rested the palm of his hand on the top of his head.

"Say, how old are you?" Akemi asked the boy.

Finding himself confused once again the boy did his best to look up at the man while having Akemi's hand on his head. "Six" Naruto told the man and after hearing his reply Akemi's smile grew even wider.

Perhaps this mission wasn't a complete waste after all.

Or that's what he thought at the time. Now however Akemi was enjoying a bit of silence away from the others. The kid's energy wouldn't hurt them while they were still in the Land of Fire but the closer they got to the Land of Water the more likely it was that his loud mouth would get them killed. If that happens then the only thing they'd earned their cause is a massive enemy in the form of Konoha.

"Hee, even from the grave you're still a huge headache" Akemi said with a chuckle as the Fourth Hokage popped into his head. He had never personally encountered the legendary shinobi but he'd heard the stories like everyone else. The Yellow Flash of Konoha and the only man to receive a flee on sight command from Iwa. His feats were nothing to scoff at, and now they had that man's son travelling with them.

"We just need to marry the kid off and then they'll have no choice but to support us" Akemi muttered to himself as he stared up at the crescent moon in the night sky.

A thick air hung over Konoha as the morning sun rose. Atop the Hokage Tower the Fifth Hokage, Dan, stood before a platoon of the village's most elite shinobi. When Mikoto had informed him that Naruto had gone missing he'd hoped that he was just hiding somewhere in the village. He'd told her that that was probably so but after countless shinobi spent the night looking for him to no avail he was forced to conclude that the boy was no longer within the village limits.

'Forgive me, Minato. I should've been more attentive' Dan thought as a morning breeze blew through his extremely light blue, mid-back length hair. Looking to the shinobi gathered before him he had only one order to give "Bring Naruto back no matter the cost".


	3. Chapter 3

**Okay people, chapter three is up and ready to Read! Hope you all enjoy!**

 **(Marshalanime does not own Naruto)**

"Dream? What good is a dream that leads to an early death?"

The words played through Dan's mind as he stared into the green gemstone resting on his open palm. His son had yelled those words at him when he'd been informed that his father would be the next Hokage. That moment had repeated itself in the Hokage's mind time and again over the years. If he had said things differently, done thing differently, could he have stopped the young man he'd raised from leaving?

As the feeling of self doubt rose up it was quickly pushed to the side of his mind and his facial features changed to hide that it had ever played across his mind as the door leading into his office was pushed open. Letting the First Hokage's necklace fall back into place around his neck Dan waited for the visitor to approach his desk. He didn't need to look up to see who it was, he had been expecting them.

Dan didn't move a muscle as two palms smacked into the wood of his desk, scattering the few parchments that had been resting there before. Slowly tracing his way up slander arms attached to a fit yet equally slender frame Dan's gaze came to see the face of the woman leaning over his desk, his eyes ending there journey when they looked with the heated gaze of two onyx pools.

Mikoto.

Her demeanor had changed quite drastically from her last visit. At the time she was frantic as she brought the unsettling news that Naruto was missing. Her movements had been erratic and clumsily. He had heard from lord Third that she'd planned to take the pour child into her home, to welcome him into her family. It was the whole reason for why she went to his home in the first place. He could only imagine how devastating it was for her to find that the boy was gone. "If only I hadn't taken so long." That thought must have played through her mind a thousand times in the short amount of time between then and now.

Despite how disheveled she had been the night prior the woman standing before him now betrayed none of that. She stood ready in her resolve, determination running through her every fiber.

"Evening Mikoto, is there anything I ca-" Dan tried to start off politely but she didn't allow him to finish his sentence.

"I wasn't I assigned to the mission?" Mikoto asked bluntly without raising her voice or taking her eyes off of his. Her tone left no questions that she wouldn't be sidetracked, that she had come here for but a singular reason.

Dan knew that she'd come to him about this sooner or later. Honestly he had hoped for later, but here he was. for a second the Hokage just stared back at her, before closing his eyes, tilting his head every so slightly to the left and letting out a small breath. "You know why" the man said as his eyes half opened.

It wasn't the response Mikoto was looking for and her eyes narrowed a bit in response. "Remind me" the woman told him.

"Mikoto" Dan began as his eyes pierced into the woman's steely gaze. "This mission isn't just about retrieving a missing child. It's about recovering our village's jinchu-"

"Stop it!" Mikoto suddenly shouted, surprising Dan a bit as her head shook back and forth. As her nails attempted to dig into the wood beneath her hands as they pulled inward the woman continued, her gaze coming back to rest on Dan's. "Don't you dare say it. Just don't." Her voice was fragile now, like it was made of glass and could shatter at any minute. "He's not just some military asset to be kept safe until needed" the woman told him. "He's Minato's, Kushina's..." Mikoto's eyes closed as images of her lost friends came to mind, and when they opened again her gaze had regained its strength. "He's Naruto Uzumaki, and he's going to be my son" Mikoto said without any room to question the resolve she had to make that statement true.

While she spoke Dan watched and listened. When she finished the corners of his lips turned upwards for just a fraction of a second. "You've been retired for eleven years now, correct?" Dan questioned.

Raising her eyebrow at the question Mikoto went to say "Yes. Once I found out I was pregnant with Itachi. What's that have to do with"

"Do you maintain a training regiment?" Dan asked cutting off Mikoto's own. Stumbling over her previous point Mikoto admitted that she didn't. Leaning back in his chair Dan's gaze turned to the ceiling. "Do you really think I can send someone who hasn't taken a single mission in eleven years and who's skills have dulled on such a vitle assignment?" Reaching into a drawer Dan awaited her reply.

"I can still help! I can still carry out my duties! I was one of the village's best jou-nin?" Mikoto was arguing when Dan pulled out a scroll and laid it on top of the desk. Her hard glare had become a confused stare as she turned her eyes to the scroll.

"The answer's no" Dan said with finality as his vision dropped back down to the woman. "But we do have another mission that could use your attention. The village is short of rare medical supplies and we need to restock" the Fifth told her.

"You want me to pick herbs?" Mikoto barked back, insulted that he'd even suggest this.

Leaning in Dan put a smile on his face while patting the scroll. "Some of these ingredients are VERY rare and could take you ALL over the continent and could take QUITE some time to gather. Lord Third himself suggested you for the task and will even be joining you" Dan told her, stressing points here and there so she'd understand.

Widening her eyes for a moment Mikoto's features softened as she reached out to take the mission scroll. "Thank you" the woman told him before swiftly turning and walking out of the room.

As the door closed behind the Uchiha Dan was once more left to his thoughts. Using his feet to spin his chair around Dan looked out one of the windows that lined the curved wall behind his desk. The blue sky looked like it went on forever. 'Is the sky this beautiful where you are?' Dan thought to himself, the gem hanging around his neck gleaming in the sunlight.

From the tower Mikoto made a B-line for the Uchiha compound and her home that rested within its walls. A few of her clansmen greeted her as she moved through the compound but her mind was too focused on the task at hand to notice. It had been years since she'd left the village on an assignment, she needed to make sure she had everything she'd need packed and ready and thus she was going over the list of essentials in her mind over and over again.

Entering her house Mikoto didn't care to remove her shoes. She wouldn't be staying long. Heading straight for her bedroom Mikoto flung open her closet. Before her was an assortment of her dresses and shirts. If she looked to the side her eyes would've moved over Fugaku's shirts and flackjacket. If this was any other day she would've quickly reached in and pulled out what she would wear, but not today. Slowly moving up Mikoto's eyes landed on a book that was kept on a shelve above her dresses. It was a box she hadn't touched in years and it showed with the thin, even layer of dust that coated it.

Tentatively reaching up Mikoto's fingers danced across the surface as she moved them into a good position to pull the object down. Slowly sliding it from it's long standing perch the Uchiha gently brought it down to her chest. It felt like an eternity but Mikoto knew that it must have only been seconds as she just stood there staring at the top of the box. She didn't think she'd ever open this up again but if she just stood around contemplating that she'd just be wasting time.

Kneeling down Mitoko placed the box in front of her before sliding her hands up to the lid, dust covering her fingers as she did. Removing the top brought Mikoto fave to face with something truly nostalgic, her headband resting atop her old flackjacket. A smirk played across her lips and her eyes softened as she placed the lid down next to her. She could still remember when she first put them there.

"You can't be serious!" Kushina whined as she held onto Mikot's wrist, trying to keep the Uchiha from placing the headband into the box with her flackjacket.

"Kushina, please" Mikoto told her best friend with a strained smile as the tendon in her wrist showed in her effort to move her hand forward. The two of them had run into each other while Mikoto was heading home. The Uzumaki had just returned from a simple, and rather uneventful escort mission when she had spotted the raven haired woman. Letting her teammates handle the mission recap on their own Kushina had rushed over to her friend.

Mikoto had already informed the red haired woman that she was with child and so Kushina quickly started talking to her about the developing baby as the two started walking along. Their conversation continued like most of their past talks until Mikoto mentioned that she'd be retiring. This didn't go over well with the Uzumaki, leading up to Kushina standing behind Mikoto as she sat in her kitchen with a cardboard box on the table in front of her.

"It'll just be a few years" Mikoto told the woman as she finally yanked her hand away from Kushina's hold. "Once the baby's old enough I'll be back in the field" Mikoto said with no room for argument as she placed the headband in the box.

With a pout Kushina crossed her arms over her chest. "But that's a few years where we can't go on missions together. I don't like it"

Hearing and seeing the woman like that had Mikoto chuckle. "You'll understand when you become a mother" Mikoto told her with a gentle smile as her hand came to rest over her belly, yet to show any outward sign of her pregnancy.

'It's been so long' Mikoto thought as she traced a finger over the swirled leaf design carved into the mettle. She had originally intended to work again when Itachi got older but when she found out that she was pregnant with Sasuke that plan had gone out the window. By that time Kushina was expecting her own baby and didn't make any arguments against the Uchiha's decision.

As Mikoto started to lose herself to the past she was shocked back to the present by the sound of a pack being dropped next to her. Looking to the side she saw the backpack sitting eight inches from her and standing over it was her eldest son, Itachi. Had any other ten year old snuck up on her like Itachi just did then she would've been humiliated, but this WAS Itachi. The boy was a genius among geniuses, having graduated from the academy after only a year and was now going to take part in the chunin exams by himself at the behest of the village.

At the thought Mikoto felt bittersweet. With the mission she was just given she'd probably miss the whole exam.

"I've prepared everything for you" Itachi told his mother.

"Thank you" Mikoto told the boy as she took hold of the pack. Like usual it was hard for her to tell exactly what was on her son's mind, but she could tell that he wanted to say something.

"Itachi" Mikoto begain as she looked into the boy's eyes. "If there's something you want to say then go ahead. I'll listen."

For a moment Itachi debated with himself, but quickly decided that he shouldn't stay quiet. It wasn't hard for him to guess what she was doing and if what he had to say would help in any way then it was best to say it.

"I think it's my fault Naruto left"

It had been late into yesterday as Itachi was walking home with Sasuke at his side and Naruto tagging along for as long as they shared the same path. The two younger boys had repeatedly asked him to help with their training and most of the time he had to turn them down, weather it was because he had a mission or because of something else. Today when they asked he had no reason to turn them down, there was no mission that needed his attention, no clan business his father wanted him to be present for, and Shisui was currently out on his own mission so he didn't have his usual training partner. Not that he expected Sasuke or Naruto to be able to help him train like Shisui could. And so Itachi agreed to help the two today.

It went about as well as he expected. Sasuke, while not being at the level he was at the same age was still quite adept for a six year old. Naruto however performed abysmally with no real indication of focused training. Itachi guessed that that was due to no one giving him the guidance he needed and trying to train himself as best he could. Though it was clear that his chakra reserves were substantially larger then what a six year old's should be, outmatching chunin several years older than Itachi if his estament was accurate. Put down the right path and them both would become splendid shinobi

As they walked along the path Sasuke and Naruto talked about what was going on in the academy.

"...it was sooo boring today. They just kept going on and on about history this, other villages that" Naruto complained as he walked beside Itachi with his arms folded behind his head.

"How do you know? You slept through half the class like usual" Sasuke pointed out with a playful smirk as he walked on the other side of Itachi.

"I couldn't help it!" Naruto immediately went on the defensive as he leaned forward to look around Itachi, his hands dropping down. "I as up late training and there was no way I could stay awake with how sensei talks!" the blond asserted.

"If it's your usual training then you'd be better off sleeping" Sasuke remarked, getting an annoyed tick from Naruto.

"And what's that suppose to mean?" Naruto blurted out as he went to get up close with the younger Uchiha, but his path was blocked halfway by Itachi's arm.

"Naruto, you really should take your lessons more seriously. I good shinobi is more than brute strength" Itachi told the blond who just huffed and turned forward again.

"I don't care what some test score says, it's not going to stop me from becoming Hokage!" Naruto said while walking with big steps.

"Hokage?" Itachi asked. It was the first time he'd heard the boy make such a proclamation.

"It's something he's been going on about recently" Sasuke told his older brother. "I think he's too hopeful but if he wants to waste his time aiming for Hokage then fine by me" the young Uchiha tacked on.

"It's not a waste of time! I really will be Hokage one day and then everyone will look up to me! Believe it!" Naruto shot back as he pointed at the boy.

"Hmph, not with your grades" Sasuke remarked, getting a low grumble to come from the blond in response.

"To become Hokage" Itachi's words distracted the boys from their growing argument as they turned their eyes up to the boy between them. "Is that your dream, to become Hokage?" Itachi asked as he stared off into the distance. He didn't need a reply but got one none the less.

"Yeah! That's right! My dream is to become the best Hokage ever!" Naruto cheered as he threw up a fist with Sasuke giving him a skeptical look.

"Hokage, hm? I suppose my dream is to become Hokage as well" Itachi's words once more garnered the total attention of the boys.

"Sorry but that's not going to happen" Naruto remarked after a few steps. "Because I'm going to become Hokage!" Naruto asserted with confidence.

"As if!" Sasuke blurted out, gaining Naruto's ire once more. "Unlike you big brother could actually become Hokage" Sasuke said with a snide expression.

"Grr, Sasuke!" Naruto growled out, ready to throw himself at the Uchiha and make him take back his words when Itachi once more spoke.

"It's not that becoming Hokage is my goal, but if becoming Hokage will help me achieve my dream then that's what I'll do"

This time He got weird looks from the two boys, particularly from his little brother. It was odd for Sasuke, Itachi wasn't usually this open. "Well if being Hokage isn't your dream then what is?" the younger Uchiha asked.

There was a pause. It wasn't that his dream was particularly kept a secret, he'd told others about it before, but it wasn't something he'd just bring up in normal conversation. "I want to be the greatest Shinobi ever, great enough that I can erase all fighting from this world" Itachi told he two and for a moment there was silence as the two looked up at him in awe. It was an odd sensation for the boy to see the looks in their eyes upon hearing his dream. Every time before this the adults would just wave it off as a childish dream that could never happen while those closer to his age just laughed it off, but these two didn't react like that.

"If anyone can do it it's you big brother!" Sasuke was the first to break the silence, bringing a smile to Itachi's face.

For a moment Naruto stayed silent as Sasuke talked to his brother, encouraging his dream. "Leave it to me!" Naruto suddenly said, gaining the attention of the Uchiha bothers. Walking along Naruto was staring up at the sky with a wide grin. "I'll take care off al the fighting so you can just leave being Hokage to me!" Naruto declared.

At the time Itachi thought nothing of Naruto's declaration, that it was just something he said in the moment, but then he left the village. Itachi couldn't help but believe Naruto left because of what he said, and he couldn't do anything himself to bring the boy back. He had to leave it to his mother this time and have faith that she can fix his mistake.

When he finished telling his mother what had happened Itachi found himself being pulled into a hug. "You didn't do anything wrong" Mikoto assured him. When she let him go she gave him a warm smile and told him, "I'll bring him back".


	4. Chapter 4

**Okay everyone, I'm back with a new chapter. I had intended on making it a tad bit longer but I got this feeling in my gut that if I didn't finish this up tonight that it might be a while before this story got updated. Hope you don't mind too much and hope you all enjoy the chapter!**

 **(Marshalanime does not own Naruto)**

Even before the sun rose over the horizon the team of rebel kiri shinobi were off. All traces of their camp had been dealt with and a still groggy blond had been hoisted onto Mei's back as the trio continued their journey home. By the time night fell over the land again they'd be out of the Land of Fire. By the time the sun was high in the sky they were well on their way to the boarder.

"...As the name suggested the land surrounding Kirigakure is often shrouded in mist" Mei was telling the young boy who' curiosity finally led to him asking what Kiri was like. It was a bit of a relief for the three shinobi escorting him since their journey yesterday with the blond consisted of them listening to how great Konoha was with sprinklings of mini adventures the kid had in his village. Given how they loved their own village dearly, despite the circumstanced they found themselves in, it was a little aggravating to say the least. Though as to not ruin any chances of the boy taking a liking to them they had to hold their tongues and listen.

"Not to say that there's always mist" Saburo quipped as he hopped next to Mei and Naruto, giving the boy a big smile. "There are days when the mist lifts with clear blue skies and when the sun shines down on the dew covered land juuust right, well, the sight is simply divine" the man said, his eyes losing focus as his mind filled with memories of sunlight dancing across the village.

"It really is beautiful" Mei softly remarked as a smile tugged at her lips.

"Wooow..." Naruto let out in awe as he tried to imagine it. Turning his attention from Saburo keeping pace with them to the woman he was holding onto the boy asked, "Will I get to see it?"

Giving a small chuckle Mei turned her head to look over her shoulder at the blond she was carrying, "I'm sure you will." Seeing the wide, happy grin spread across the boy's face Mei gave him one last smile before turning her attention back to the forest zooming past her. "Because one day we'll all get to enjoy such a beautiful sight again" the woman whispered to herself as her smile turned melancholic.

"Hey, captain Akemi" Saburo called out to the man trailing slightly behind them.

"What is it?" the stern man questioned as his gaze lazily drifted up to his companion.

"You like to press flowers right?" Saburo asked as he scratched his round chin, earning an annoyed tick from his superior.

"Why are you bringing that up now of all times!?" Akemi roared at the man who instinctively flinched in response.

"Soooo, that's a yes then?" Saburo asked as he peeked out from behind the arms that had shot up to cover his face.

"Yeah, I collect flowers, what about it?" the scarred man spat out as his eyes focused on anything that wasn't his companions.

"Wow, didn't think you'd have a hobby like that" Naruto remarked as he looked back to stair at the man. It wasn't a judging, or mocking, but just a stair.

"What? A man can't press flowers?" the man growled as he glared at the boy.

"Nah, I just didn't think a prick like you would collect flowers" Naruto told the man as his stair turned into a glare to match Akemi's. This of course earned the ire of the veteran shinobi who had to bite down on his fist hard enough to draw blood in order to stop himself from rushing over and smacking the hell out of him.

Feeling Mei bump him further up her back to get his attention Naruto's head swiveled around to see the woman giving him a stern look from over her shoulder. "Naruto, a boy your age shouldn't be using foul language like that" Mei said in a harsh tone, sending a shiver down the boys back.

Shakily glancing over to Saburo Naruto gave the man a pleading look, getting the man to burst out laughing. "Sorry kiddo but I'm not sticking my head into this one" Saburo said with a chipper tone before glancing at the man glaring at the blond. 'I was gonna ask if he could show Naruto his flowers, but I can't see that going anywhere right now' the man thought with a sigh as his head dropped, only for his head to jolt back up and for his eyes to widen as he came to a sudden stop on the branch he was a bout to jump off of.

This garnered the attention of his teammates as they quickly came to a stop just ahead of him and turned to face the man.

"Don't leave us in the dark Saburo, how many?" Akemi demanded.

"Twelve of them" Saburo replied as his eyes narrowed. "Roughly six miles ahead of us and their closing that distance quickly" the man added.

"What's the call?" Mei asked their leader as Naruto dumbly watched the interaction. He was about to speak up but a quick glance from Saburo accompanied by a shake of his head had him closing his mouth.

"This wouldn't be to are advantage even if it was just the three of us, but with the kid tagging along that's just dead weight we'd have to worry about" Akemi said, sending a stern look at the blond to keep him from complaining about the dead weight remark. "It's safe to assume that they're not pursuers from Konoha given the direction their coming from" Akemi said as his gaze turned back to Saburo. "Can you recognize any of their chakra signatures?"

With a shake of his head Saburo told the man "No. I've never encountered these shinobi before but they're all high level with the amount of chakra I'm sensing."

"All right" Akemi started as he turned and jumped off towards a new direction. "If we're lucky their not after us! So for the time being we'll avoid the path their taking!" Akemi called out as the other two followed after him. "Saburo, I want you to keep track of them and inform me of any change in their path!"

"Understood!"

"Mei, you're not to let the kid leave your side no matter what!" Akemi told the woman.

"You can count on it!"

Six hours pass and the landscape around them had been died a beautiful orange as the sun hung low in the sky. All this time they've been changing direction, taking the hardest routes, and covering their tracks but every time their pursuers would follow without fail. There was no longer any doubt that they were the target.

'This isn't getting us anywhere' Akemi thought with gritted teeth. "How far away are they?" Akemi asked.

"887 meters" Saburo answered with a grim expression.

Looking over to Mei, Akemi gave her a nod before glancing back to Saburo.

"Don't take too long now" Mei replied with a smirk as she sped off ahead of the two men. As Naruto looked back at the two who'd turned and headed in the direction they'd come from Mei's smirk faded away to be replaced with a frown, her eyes staring straight on as she refused to look back. 'You better come back.'

"So what's the plan captain?" Saburo asked as the two rushed headlong toward their foes.

"I have no intention of making this a suicide mission, but if worse comes to pass..." Akemi spoke, allowing his words to hang knowing that his comrade understood their implications.

After an audible gulp Saburo did his best to steel his nerves and hide the fear showing in his facial features. "Mei and the kid need to make it back more than we do. No matter the cost I'll see to it that they do make it" Saburo asserted as he brought his hands together and started to gather his chakra.

Grinning Akemi gave a nod of his head. "That's the spirit" the man responded.

Moments later Saburo shouted out "INCOMING!" as a bolt of lighting soared toward them. Dodging to either side allowed the bolt to fly harmlessly between them but that was far from the last of their enemies assault. Flashing in behind Saburo a shinobi donning a Kiri ANBU mask clasped his hands together and brought them down along the man's spine with enough force to break boulders, sending him plummeting to the forest floor.

Meanwhile Akemi had three more Kiri ANBU coming straight at him with kunai in hand. Rapidly going through handsigns the man took in a deep breath before blowing out a stream of air that tore through the center shinobi's chest. As the man fell lifelessly his two companions continued forward without hesitation while Akemi's jutsu died off, not noticing the faint smirk that played at his lips.

Just before the two men slashed away at Akemi a thin pressurized jet of water came from below, quickly moving horizontally through the two ANBU, cutting through them and the tree canopy above them with ease. From the ground Saburo watched as the men fell to the ground in pieces with water slowly dribbling out of his mouth after his jutsu had ended. Wiping the water from his mouth the man muttered, "A second later and I'd be in as many pieces" revering to the activation of his rubber Flesh Jutsu earlier.

Coming to land on another branch in a crouch Akemi quickly drew a kunai as he shot straightened up and clashed with an oncoming blade and in the same motion he redirected the swing away from him as he thrust his hand forward, digging the throwing knife into the ANBU's throat. As the body dropped, only loosing a bit of momentum as it slid from the branch and to the floor below, Akemi commented, "Four down, eight to go." While all around him on several different branches stood the rest of them, eyeing him wearily. All except for one.

She couldn't have been more then fourteen judging by looks alone. She had long, red hair, black eyes, and together with a Kiri forehead protector, she also wore a simple cloth around her head, distinctively tied at both sides so as to give her a unique hairstyle sending a portion on either side of her head upward, while the remainder of hair is allowed to flow downwards. She wore a loose, pin-striped long-sleeved shirt with a dark obi around the waist, black pants which got much looser near the ends, resembling hakama, and striped leg-warmers. With jagged teeth she grinned at the man before her. But what gave her identity away more than anything ng were the twin blades she held in her hands. Each blade was double edged with two curved prongs, one on the back edge toward the top and one on the front edge toward the bottom.

This young woman was Ameyuri Ringo, said to be the deadliest wielder of the legendary blades Kiba in the history of Kirigakure.

"You gave us quite the run around, you know that?" the young woman remarked. "Let's see if you're any good as good in a fight as you are in a chase" the woman challenged as lightning arced off of her blades, her dark eyes pierced into her prey.


End file.
